SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

hubricide · 2005-03-05 14:23:12

If someone truly believes that no one has landed on the moon, then I don't know that they can ever be convinced. I suppose they might be convinced if they themselves were to go to the moon, but it could all be an elaborate simulator, don't you know.

I remember Disneyland used to have a ride that was supposed to be you taking off from Earth and landing on Mars. I really believed we had flown to Mars as a kid (my parents convinced me otherwise, and I realized they must be right). Alas, we didn't really land on Mars.. and I was just a kid. Surely adults would be far harder to fool.

djellison · 2005-03-06 08:34:19

Oh - conspiracists will never be silenced.

If I built, launched and landed a rover with HDTV cameras and toured around landing sites showing discarded hardware - their claims would be that

I was part of the conspiracy and was faking the data
The hardware was flown without people on board
It was put their by aliens

Doug

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2005-03-21 03:26:14

SMART-1 will set the way for a joint Euro / Indian exploration of the Moon ?

Agreement between ESA and the Indian Space Research Organisation for India’s first moon mission
Quote:
ESA Council give go-ahead to Europe's cooperation with India in a lunar exploration mission

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMRXIRMD6E_in … dex_1.html

Palomar · 2005-03-30 15:04:17

*Scrolled back to the top of the page. Apparently this hasn't yet been posted or my eyes are going kaput:

March 30
SMART-1 Moon Probe Outsmarts Itself
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) SMART-1 Moon probe had a bit of unexpected engine action. Spacecraft operators last month were surprised to find the craft’s ion motor happily at work.
"The software error for the unexpected activation of the electric propulsion of the engine has been found and corrected," explained Sven Grahn, Vice President Engineering & Corporate Communications for the Swedish Space Corporation, the prime contractor for SMART-1.
The event seems to be related to a shift of memory addresses caused by the uploading of a major software patch. The patch was not uploaded to fix a problem, but to provide new functionality for the lunar orbiter’s science instruments, Grahn told SPACE.com.
"Simulations and tests were run before the patch was uploaded, but somehow the tests and simulations did not catch this glitch," he said.
Grahn said that the inadvertent turn-on of the electric propulsion is now fully understood and there is no risk of a repetition. "But of course, the age-old lesson is never touch a working system…and if you must…be sure to check. We checked, but still the glitch occurred. However, the consequences of the glitch were very small, luckily."
The craft’s ion engine kicked on for 11 hours and 22 minutes in February 28, consuming some 200 grams of precious Xenon fuel. A subsequent correction maneuver by SMART-1 as it orbits the Moon was done on March 12 to avoid too long of eclipses in April, added Bernard Foing, Chief Scientist for ESA’s science program. [Smart Science] -- Leonard David

It's from space.com's "Astronotes" section, which is in an updated column format. Have to copy and paste.

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-04-15 11:16:11

As noted in the Moon direct thread the best place to start a moon colony as well as one of the first places to explore is being imaged by the ESA SMART-1 it will search for lunar peaks of eternal light that will be very important to keep solar cells creating energy and for a more modest temperature swing.

“If we can confirm peaks of eternal light”, adds Bernard Foing, SMART-1 Project Scientist, “these could be a key locations for possible future lunar outposts”.

Palomar · 2005-05-24 12:07:46

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980306.html]Water Ice @ Lunar Poles

*Didn't want to start a new thread for this. As it pertains to Luna and is complementary to SMART-1's mission objectives, will post it here. Will be interesting to compare data.

Above is a mosaic of Clementine images of the cratered terrain surrounding the Moon's North pole. Surprisingly, Lunar Prospector's data indicates that the North polar region contains about twice as much ice as the South.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-06-08 20:26:41

http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish … 05]SMART-1 finds calcium on the Moon

The European Space Agency's SMART-1 spacecraft has discovered deposits of calcium on the Moon for the first time. The discovery was made using the spacecraft's D-CIXS X-ray spectrometer, which can detect various elements on the lunar surface. SMART-1 is actually still in its calibration phase of its various instruments, so it should provide even more detailed results once it begins full operations.

Congratulations, ESA!

--Cindy

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2005-06-20 04:44:40

image from SMART-1 was dedicated to the Cassini
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/SMART-1/SEM … U8E_0.html
SMART-1's tribute to Cassini

http://sci.esa.int/smart-1]http://sci.esa.int/smart-1

total lunar eclipse from space
The images of the Earth shown here were taken just before and after the eclipse. The apparent relative size of the Earth and Moon, as shown in this picture, is exactly as seen by SMART-1.
The relative distance between the two bodies, however, is not to scale. In fact, the Earth and Moon were farther apart than the field of view of AMIE and could not simultaneously fit within a single image. For this reason, a sequence of images was taken instead.In reality, the physical size of the Earth is about 3.7 times larger than that of the Moon; their diameters are about 12 800 km and 3500 km, respectively. As SMART-1 was farther away from the Moon than from Earth, the difference appears exaggerated.
http://smart.esa.int/science-e-media/im … ...410.JPG

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object … ctid=37443
Ready for Operations Phase

some older pics, Asian region of Planet Earth
http://smart.esa.int/science-e-media/im … t3aiPy.jpg

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2005-07-16 16:26:38

some more info on Smart-1

http://www.physorg.com/news5203.html]ht … s5203.html
http://www.esa.int/spacecraftops/ESOC-A … ...75.html

European engineers plan to use similar solar-power ion engines for longer spacecraft trips to Mercury and Mars — including Europe's BepiColombo mission to Mercury

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2005-07-22 22:01:38

This is it

Preparing for Ion Drive Firing

http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object … ctid=37703

22 Jul 2005

During the period 20 June to 17 July 2005, SMART-1 ground activities focused on planning and preparing for the upcoming firing of the ion drive.

It is planned to exhaust all the Xenon available in the tank going beyond the design limit of 2 kg.

:!:

Palomar · 2005-07-26 12:42:54

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.htm … 486]Hadley Rille

*Is on the SE edge of Mare Ibrium. Pic taken from alt of 2000 km. Area is 100 km.

Mentions riles mark lava channels or collapsed lava tubes formed during volcanism.

--Cindy

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2005-08-02 06:03:17

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.htm … 486]Hadley Rille
*Is on the SE edge of Mare Ibrium. Pic taken from alt of 2000 km. Area is 100 km.

--Cindy

very good

here's a bit of info
http://www.wilhelm-aerospace.org/Space/ … otated.jpg
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/Histo … TO41B4.jpg
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapca … /72dpi.jpg

Warning ! large images

Palomar · 2005-08-26 05:27:47

After 5-month hiatus

*...the ion drive has been "nominally" restarted.

The EP power is being set to 1325W due to the Sun distance seasonal effect.

The EP operations are planned to last until mid September assuming simulator behaviour. The second half of September has been reserved for possible special operations in case the engine does not behave as expected.

Also lists future activities and gives a rundown on status. All is well, it seems. Includes photo of the ion drive and its "exhaust."

--Cindy

SpaceNut · 2005-09-01 19:48:39

Lots of great images coming:
SMART-1 views Glushko crater on the Moon

views Hadley Rille near Apollo 15 landing site

Palomar · 2005-09-01 20:35:09

views Hadley Rille near Apollo 15 landing site

*Have seen that before; very interesting.

Sinuous rilles are probably the most recognisable of small volcanic features on the Moon. Many partially resemble river valleys on Earth. However, the lunar rilles usually flow away from small pit structures.
The rilles mark lava channels or collapsed lava tubes that formed during mare volcanism. Indeed, the lunar samples indicate that the Moon has always been dry, thus confirming the volcanic origin of the rilles.

Nice photos.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-09-20 11:11:45

Vallis Alpes

*Nice. Good info in the brief accompanying article. Some peaks are 3000+ meters tall. The rille in the photo is cool.

--Cindy

evilcitizen · 2005-09-20 19:07:25

Have they reached any conclusions on the effectiveness of the ION drive from this mission yet?

Grypd · 2005-09-21 15:32:53

Evilcitizen the Ion drive has proven itself incredibly. Slow but persistent.

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2005-09-26 09:44:49

SMART-1 set for more lunar science
http://www.esa.int/esaSC/SEMTM88X9DE_index_0.html
"This mission has given ESA a valuable experience about electric propulsion operations and navigation that can be exploited in future missions," says Octavio Camino-Ramos, SMART-1 Spacecraft Operations Manager at ESOC.
From now on SMART-1 will be left in a natural orbit determined by lunar gravity, but also by perturbations by Earth and the Sun. Analyses show that SMART-1 will end its life naturally, through impact with the Moon surface, around mid August 2006.
Bernard Foing, ESA’s SMART-1 Project Scientist, said, "The first scientific phase of the mission, from March to July 2005, was essentially dedicated to simple observations of the Moon and the study of the behaviour of spacecraft and instruments in the difficult thermal conditions of the lunar environment. From early October, with the extended scientific phase, SMART-1 will perform more complex science operations."

Palomar · 2005-09-27 12:19:13

*The article I'm posting meshes nicely with YL Rocket's most recent post:

SMART-1 given life extension

The probe's original demise date was May 2006. Scientists have found a way to extend its life another two months -- until July 2006, of course. Excellent.

It's currently "coasting" around Luna and will restart science observations on October 1.

Also, see final paragraph for a rundown of science objectives.

--Cindy

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2005-09-30 10:07:27

*The article I'm posting meshes nicely with YL Rocket's most recent post:
SMART-1 given life extension
The probe's original demise date was May 2006. Scientists have found a way to extend its life another two months -- until July 2006, of course. Excellent.
It's currently "coasting" around Luna and will restart science observations on October 1.
Also, see final paragraph for a rundown of science objectives.
--Cindy

its good news !!

but when are they going to take more photos ?? - ESA PR is a mess

UPDATE
End of Electric Propulsion Operations
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object … ctid=38067

MP3 audio: SMART-1 in new orbit
www.esa.int/spacecraftops/ESOC-Article-fullArticle_par-40_1123749852240.html

http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia … ean005.mp3
MP3 Audio, 5.2MB

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2006-01-02 10:40:26

Report for period 21 November to 18 December 2005
Smart-1 push-broom operations have continued throughout the reporting period without interruptions. The illumination of the +Y face of the S/C in last period of push broom operations resulted in the highest peak temperatures ever measured in the star tracker cameras. All payload data could be dumped to earth except from a few megabytes that were lost due to two double EDAC re-occurrences that forced the reset of part of the payload stores memory.
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object … ctid=38496
Flight Dynamics has completed the first analysis of the Smart-1 impact on the Moon in 2006 and the different options. The current prediction estimates the impact on the Moon in August 2006

EuroLauncher · 2006-01-13 01:53:24

Expanding co-operation: German ground station tracks ESA Moon mission

www.esa.int/spacecraftops/ESOC-Article-fullArticle_par-40_1134728784787.html

12 January 2006
In a first-ever technical tie-up, ESA and the German Aerospace Center have agreed to share network facilities, initially using a German ground station to track ESA's SMART-1 mission.

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2006-03-04 10:40:47

Crater Billy
Date: 16 Feb 2006
Satellite: SMART-1
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object … ctid=38821
Crater Billy, located at 50.1° W, 13.8° S on the lunar surface at the southern edge of Oceanus Procellarum, has a diameter of 46 km and is up to 1.3 km deep.

Palomar · 2006-03-07 07:56:27

*SMART-1 to crash into Moon in early September.

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/06 … _moon.html

Scientists are plotting out a “crash course” in learning what happens when a European lunar probe slams into the Moon.
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) SMART-1 spacecraft—now circling the Moon—is headed for a planned early September impact with Earth’s celestial neighbor.
The ESA probe would plow into the lunar surface, giving it a glancing blow as it speeds in at nearly 5,000 miles per hour (2 kilometers per second).

Back on July 31, 1999, the Moon was on the receiving end of NASA’s Lunar Prospector.
That farewell fall of space hardware struck within a crater near the lunar south pole—in an attempt to detect water ice stirred up by the wallop. No visible debris plume was reported.
According to Foing, the hope is that those Earth-based observers intending to take part in September’s thump of the Moon can make pre-hit predictions of SMART-1’s impact magnitude, cloud ejecta dynamics, exospheric effects and other observable manifestations brought about by the crash.

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#51 2005-03-05 14:23:12

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#52 2005-03-06 08:34:19

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#53 2005-03-21 03:26:14

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#54 2005-03-30 15:04:17

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#55 2005-04-15 11:16:11

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#56 2005-05-24 12:07:46

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#57 2005-06-08 20:26:41

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#58 2005-06-20 04:44:40

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#59 2005-07-16 16:26:38

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#60 2005-07-22 22:01:38

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#61 2005-07-26 12:42:54

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#62 2005-08-02 06:03:17

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#63 2005-08-26 05:27:47

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#64 2005-09-01 19:48:39

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#65 2005-09-01 20:35:09

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#66 2005-09-20 11:11:45

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#67 2005-09-20 19:07:25

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#68 2005-09-21 15:32:53

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#69 2005-09-26 09:44:49

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#70 2005-09-27 12:19:13

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#71 2005-09-30 10:07:27

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#72 2006-01-02 10:40:26

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#73 2006-01-13 01:53:24

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#74 2006-03-04 10:40:47

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

#75 2006-03-07 07:56:27

Re: SMART-1 - ESA lunar orbiter

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